December Reviews

The overall trip to Patagonia, both on the Argentine side and the Chilean side was wonderful. The most memorable moment was in Chile, during the French Valley. We had the best guide, Hector who led us through the W-Trek. Sitting in front of the most beautiful mountain was awe-inspiring. I felt at peace in this moment and was so inspired to be outdoors. I had many favorite parts of this trip. Personally, I believe that Patagonia itself is a renowned and remote place to be at the same time. Exploring these emotions while watching the views was really important for me.

Seeing the Towers of Torres del Paine when I finally made it to the top of the hike.

Our trip included 7 different experiences and locations. Sometimes the travel between stops seemed too long. But how could it be otherwise? And as it turned out, we always loved the journey as much as the end. I love the Chilean people - always open and friendly, free of the arrogance, anger or malice so often seen in Americans. The weather could be discouraging if one didn't have the proper apparel, but we all did and we weren't discouraged by the wind, rain and cold. I intend to go back next year with 7 different stops. I don't have any grandchildren.

The trip was incredible, so many contrasts of landscape, weather, etc! It was particularly special being away at Christmas!

Patagonia Camp and all it had to offer was quite memorable. Beautiful, captivating views from the lodge and yurt were as advertised .

The highlight of my trip was seeing the wildlife up close and personal. My EcoCamp dome was nestled in the bushes where the chincols (rufuos-collared sparrows) sang for my arrival. Guanacos were not sparse and I felt I got the full experience being able to see them anytime we traveled on the road. In addition, the iconic rock formations were stunning and a real privilege to see in person. I enjoyed the experience at EcoCamp. The structure of eating with your group tour for breakfast and dinner was an absolute bonding experience with people from all over the world. The most exciting moment for me was seeing the young pumas napping while the guanacos walked by to taunt them. I came for the hiking experience as well and the hikes were challenging but not intimidating. My guides were exceptional at knowing about the park, motivating me through my treks, and making me feel comfortable back at EcoCamp.

There were many memorable moments, but the stay at Patagonia Camp was idyllic. The accommodations were unique and comfortable, the scenery breath taking, and the staff welcoming , gracious , helpful and kind.

The highlights for me (being a mountain person) were the enormous and abundant glaciers and always the thought that I was seeing only a fraction of the ice that makes up the South Patagonian Ice Cap. Another highlight was the weather! We were blessed with clear sunny days that offered perfect views in all directions. Saw quite a lot of wildlife but no pumas ;( My group was fantastic. Lots of fun, supportive and caring. Guides too.

Private cabin at the Cuernos mountains.

360 degree views near the Frances mirador and hearing glaciers calving Walking on Grey Glacier and seeing all its tongues from the Grey Navigation boat. Fabulous views and hikes at El Chalten.

My most memorable moment was seeing the three Towers of Paine. We were fortunate to have a blue sky day with little wind and spent more than an hour enjoying the incredible scenery and ambiance at the base of the towers.

Great views and beautiful scenery! It was just nice to be in the mountains.

- Torres del Paine was the highlight, hiking in Fitz Roy was also amazing - More wildlife than expected, but no pumas :( - We met mostly the guides and some other hikers; all were very nice

Overall, the obvious highlight was the W-trek through Torres Del Paine. The park is great, the route is fantastic. We got very lucky with the weather. We did the refugios and the 'glamping' option which we enjoyed for our short trip - the food in the refugios was surprisingly excellent and we enjoyed all of that a lot. In particular, our guide Chuma, was fantastic and really made the trip too. I was a bit dubious about having a guide but that worked out brilliantly. The whole W is great, but getting up to the towers, and hiking up to Brittanica (a slight detour) were both really great. As was going up to see the glacier field above Glacier Grey by hiking up over the second suspension bridge (another detour). Alongside all the of the information and time with glaciers was fascinating.

The entire trip was a highlight! Totally worth the effort getting down there. Between all the flights and bus rides, all of the hours of traveling seemed to disappear the minute we entered the park. The crazy blue waters, the amazing snow covered peaks, the freshness of the air, the excitement of all the other people heading in. We were lucky with the weather, had beautiful partly sunny, partly cloudy days, with only one snowy/rainy day, and of course the winds...must experience the Patagonian winds!! Overall the trip was AMAZING!!!

There are several. At age 11 I did a report on Chile-I knew someday I would visit. At 68 my dream came true. The sheer, dramatic, non-stop beauty of both Argentina and Chile rattled my senses. But, I had some personal Gold Medal days. I made it to the Base of the Towers. A feat worth the work. At the top we spread a tiny bit of my best friend's ashes. She would have loved this trip too. Hiking almost every day to spectacular sites but also treking more than 10 miles a day-that's a good day. Oh-and cooking dinner with a local chef was spectacular. We foraged for our vegetables in her garden and had the added treat of a fox watching the hen house. We got word the next day that the fox had a couple of victories. Biking 15 miles on gravel. I said I would never ride gravel-but I did and it felt good to check that off my list. EcoCamp was life changing. Waking up each morning in a dome-stepping outside and getting a good morning greeting of the Towers. Or, stepping outside to see the sky peppered with billions and billions of stars. My world got bigger that night. I also loved the zero waste mantra and I have taken that home with me. I also loved the food. Oh-maybe the Pesco Sours too! There were some points that were memorable but also life-threatening. In Agentina-El Chetain -we did a kyaking trip. The wind whipped up and there were white caps on the lake. We went in the water-tipped over. This was not the day I was planning to do a Polar Plunge (another bucket list item I can now check off). This could have gone south very quickly and frankly-it has changed my relationship with water. I think kyaking is spectacular-but I think you might do it with better kyaks and wetsuits.

Reaching base of towers by myself

It is impossible to pick just one. We LOVED all three of the full day excursions we did. Tuesday, our 1st full day in camp, we went big - Base of the Towers. The weather had been very windy for the prior 2 weeks (we were told); however, Tuesday was absolutely perfect. The only negative about the excursion is hordes of people. There is a small city hiking the trail. Other than that, awe inspiring. Day 2 as Mirador Ferrier (for 3 of the 4 in our group). Our 4th member hung out for 3 hours in the coffee shop and read a book - a perfect 3 hours for that person. After Ferrier, we connected with our 4th member and made the easy walk son the beach of Grey Lake and part way around the peninsula to see ice bergs and Grey Glacier. The weather was windy and a bit rainy, but that is not a negative at all. The weather can change every 15 minutes and provides uniqueness all the time. Our last full day at camp was the French Valley hike. Because the boat across Pehoe Lake only comes and goes certain times, you aren’t able to “take your time” as much. However, I think the French Valley is better for some of us than Base of the Towers, while some would say Base of the Towers and others would say Ferrier. That must mean we chose the perfect excursions for our fitness level - we are all in. As cool as the excursions were, the people at Patagonia Camp were the most memorable part of the trip for all of us. Paao, our guide for day 1, immediately became a member of our family. We loved her so much we begged to have her be our guide on all 3 days, and they granted us the wish. We love her!!! Rafael, the general manager of Pat Camp, won us over from the first time we met him. He always took the time to seek us out at camp and meaningful discussions with us, tell us about Chilean history, Pat Camp stuff, and stories about life. He will be a dear friend forever, even if we never see him again. The list of others is so long: Emily, Javi and Tamara - our servers in the restaurant, Andres - the bartender, Paula - the greeter, the front desk people, Andre - head of excursions, Edgardo - front desk, and the list goes on. PEOPLE, PEOPLE, PEOPLE. The Pat Camp staff are top notch. We are believers that you get from life what you put into it. The same goes with relationships with others. We genuinely wanted to connect with our Pat Camp friends, and they wanted to connect with us.

Highlights: Wilderness of Isla de Navarino, and climbing surprisingly interesting and spectacular peaks from El Chaltén. Birdlife was prolific and spectacular. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. Almost everything was surprising. Not to have time in the wilder off-trail parts of the Paine region was disappointing.

I answered 'Maybe' to the above question because Patagonia is so very far away from South Africa, but if it was nearer we would definitely want to go again. For me, the unexpected highlight were the epiphytic forests, especially in Pumalin Park. We were very struck by the politeness of everyone in Chile, and the safety - given where we come from! We found everyone we were in contact with to be welcoming and helpful. One of the most magical moments was our arrival at Tepuhueico, where we were stunned by the architecture and the warm tones of the wood, as well as the thought that had gone into every aspect of the building. It was a lovely treat of a stay to end the trip.